"Did Christianity's conflicts with Islam begin with Urban II's Crusade speech?", (with M. Pihl) Bocca della Verità, March 2022 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

The most widespread myth about the Crusades is that they solely originated from Western European circumstances. Thus, the Crusades had nothing to do with Islam's prior expansion, attack and oppression of Christians. The Crusades were solely due to the aggression of the Christian Western Europeans. Had it not been for this unprovoked aggression, the Christian and Muslim world would have lived in peace with each other, the explanation goes. But is that really true?

"Did Columbus Encounter Resistance in His Time Because the Church Believed the Earth Was Flat?", Bocca della Verità, Dec. 2021 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

Was it believed in the Middle Ages that the Earth was flat – and was this the reason why Columbus initially struggled to gain support for his plan to sail westward to find a sea route to India? This is a persistent myth. It is worth examining the medieval worldview more closely and reviewing the real reasons why Columbus was initially met with skepticism. Furthermore, the background of the mentioned myth's emergence is explained in this article.

"Was the Library in Alexandria Destroyed by Christians?", Bocca della Verità, June 2021 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

It is a widespread myth that the renowned library in Alexandria suffered the unfortunate fate of being destroyed by Christians in 391. Many have readily accepted this narrative since the 1700s. However, the problem with this claim is that what is understood as Alexandria's famous library had disappeared long before 391. Contemporary sources also do not mention anything about the destruction of books or a library in Alexandria in 391.

"Was Hypatia Killed Because She Was a Non-Christian Woman Who Practiced Science?", Bocca della Verità, March 2021 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

Since the Enlightenment, the female philosopher Hypatia, who was murdered in Alexandria in 415 AD, has been the subject of many myths. She has been portrayed as a martyr for science, whose progress was brutally tried to be thwarted by superstitious Christians.

"Crusades and Cyclopes" (with M. Pihl) Tidehverv, May 2018, pp. 78-80. [Republished here] (In Danish)

After Carsten Selch Jensen fled from and attempted to stifle the debate about the Crusades, history professor Kurt Villads Jensen came to his rescue. But as it soon became apparent, not even Villads Jensen could erase the well-documented historical fact that Islamic attacks on Christendom and the oppression of Christians contributed to shaping the crusade movement. Several examples are provided here, and Villads Jensen's unbalanced portrayal of the Crusades is addressed.

"King Jensen in the Kingdom of the Blind" (with M. Pihl), Tidehverv, March 2018, pp. 58-62. [Republished here] (In Danish)

An attempt to engage in an open debate with Professor of Church History, Carsten Selch Jensen, about the background of the Crusades. Unfortunately, Selch Jensen got cold feet. Nonetheless, a number of unfounded and qualified statements from his side are addressed here. Additionally, history professor Brian McGuire's lack of knowledge about the Crusades is exposed – and a series of specific questions are posed to Selch Jensen, which he has yet to demonstrate an ability to answer.                      

"Did Charlemagne Wage Jihad?" (with M. Pihl), feature article in Kristeligt Dagblad, May 1, 2017 [Republished here] (In Danish)

Some historians prefer not to discuss the Muslim conquests in the early Middle Ages. When these are highlighted, the response often sounds almost apologetic: After all, the Christian rulers were no better – they also waged unprovoked holy wars to convert pagans to Christianity. The favorite example is often Charlemagne's war against the Saxons. But the Saxon Wars were not declared holy, and it is often overlooked that leading clergymen distanced themselves from the brutal conduct of the Franks.

"Cicero and the Roman State", chapter in: U. Grubb & D. Kyng (eds.): A Better World. A Cross Section of History. Gyldendal, 2013, pp. 29-56. (In Danish)

An overview of Cicero's life and political career. Cicero's ideas about the good state, community, laws, citizenship, and forms of government are presented in light of Greek political theorists and the unique Roman tradition. In continuation, the development of the political system during the Roman Republic and the late republican crisis is explained. Finally, Cicero's legacy and his significance today are discussed.

"'What Seems to Be the Truth'. Did Cicero Apply a Consistent Theology to his Philosophical Writings?", Historisk Tidsskrift,  111 (2), 2011 (publ. in 2012), pp. 337-381 [Read] (In Danish with summary in English)

Contrary to a widespread opinion that Cicero was an eclectic philosopher who did not himself make any significant contributions to the field of philosophy of religion, this article argues that he provided consistent and coherent answers to a range of questions regarding, among other things, the nature of the gods, the significance of fate, and especially divination, which he combined into an original yet logically consistent philosophical and religious worldview.

"Scavenius: 'It would be easier if we could call ourselves National Socialists'", NOMOS, 2009 (7:2) pp. 91-106. [Find and read here] (In Danish)

A critical assessment of the Danish Foreign Minister and later Prime Minister E. Scavenius' role during the Nazi occupation of Denmark 1940-1945. Eyewitness accounts in the diaries of former Foreign Minister and party colleague P. Munch paint a picture of Scavenius' attitude towards the Nazis as far more compliant than is commonly assumed. Scavenius' willingness to go far – even very far – caused significant problems for the Danish r collaborationist government.

"Flemish Spring?" (with M. Uhrskov Jensen), NOMOS, 2009 (7:1) pp. 95-114. [Find and read here] (In Danish)

A debate interview with leading politicians within the Flemish independence movement. Their views on Belgium's history and the country's increasing division between Walloons and Flemings are illuminated through their stance on the Belgian parliamentary system, immigration, economic development, and the relationship with the Netherlands and the EU. A picture is painted of an increasingly tense political climate in the small European country.

"Pious Philosophers. Cosmologies and Religious Identities", article in A. H. Rasmussen et al. (eds.), Religion and Society, Edizioni Quasar 2008, pp. 285–292. [Purchase anthology at Amazon] [Read article] (In English)

An examination of ancient philosophers' portrayal of themselves as representatives of a particular piety and correct attitude towards the gods and the divine. In opposition to certain parts of older mythological portrayals of the gods and traditional worship, philosophical schools presented their own interpretations of the nature of the divine and humanity's ability to interact with the superhuman.

"Long Live Diversity? Reflections on Multiculturalism", chapter in: M. E. Juul Nielsen & K. Støvring (eds.): The Civic Order. Thoughts on Civil Society and Culture, Gyldendal 2008, pp. 72-92 (In Danish)

A debate article presenting recent theories regarding the significance of cultural values for civil society. Drawing on, for example, Christopher Lasch, Samuel P. Huntington, Douglas C. North, Robert D. Putnam, Alberto Alesina, and Francis Fukuyama, topics such as late modernity and multiculturalism, trust, cultural conflicts, clashes of civilisations, and social capital are discussed.

"Advocates of Multiculturalism", NOMOS 2008 (6:1) pp. 25-37 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

A debate article with a critical review of recent decades' post-Marxist and ultra-liberal advocates for multiculturalism in Denmark – such as Christian Braad Thomsen, Klaus Rifbjerg, Carsten Jensen, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, and Thøger Seidenfaden. With different ideological backgrounds, these individuals have served as representatives of criticism of the traditional cultural values ​​of Western societies.

"Gods, Portents and Rituals in the Roman World", chapter in: B. Fonnesbech-Wulff & P. ​​Roslyng-Jensen (eds.): Outlines of History. Gyldendal, 2006, pp.59-74 [Read more / purchase] (In Danish)

An examination of ancient Roman religion. This chapter elucidates the Romans' perception of the gods, their ideas about the power of rituals, the relationship between humans and the divine, public and private worship in the city and in the countryside, ancestral traditions, divination and its role in public worship, sorcery, the concept of superstition – and later religious currents that challenged the traditional Roman religion.

"Mao – The Unknown Story" (review), NOMOS, 2006 (4:2) pp. 95-115 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

A review of Jung Chang's and Jon Halliday's comprehensive biographical work on Mao (1893-1976). For 27 years, Mao Zedong led the Chinese communist regime, which is estimated to have had 70 million lives on its conscience. Here, the main points of Chang's and Halliday's shocking portrait of a leader who still enjoys iconic status among certain political groups are discussed.

"When Culture Matters – The Importance of Culture for Civil Society and Social Capital" (with Jens C. Cini), NOMOS, 2004 (2:2) pp. 29-70 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

In this article, the concept of social “power of cohesion" is developed based on an overview of recent theories regarding the importance of culture for civil society. Trust and social capital are discussed based on social studies conducted by, among others, Edward Banfield, Robert D. Putnam, Richard Florida, and Alberto Alesina – as well as World Values Survey studies. The concept of "power of cohesion" has since been used in various contexts.

”Robert D. Kaplan: ‘Was Democracy Just a Moment?’" (translation), NOMOS, 2003 (1:2) pp. 5-31

"Journeys in Anarchy. The World According to Robert D. Kaplan", NOMOS, 2003 (1:2) pp. 107-127 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

Translation of the article "Was Democracy Just a Moment?" and a presentation of Robert D. Kaplan's (b. 1952) work as a journalist in the world's hotspots and his societal analyses, which call for Western self-reflection and political realism.

“The Epic Mind. Tolkien's Authorship and Existential Outlook", NOMOS, 2003 (1:1) pp. 83-121 [Find and read here] (In Danish)

A presentation of J. R. R. Tolkien's life and work, including his idea of "the epic mind" and "the theory of courage." Tolkien's use of the literary tradition of the past as inspiration is related to his understanding and appreciation of Western cultural heritage. His appreciation of his English homeland and his lamentation over the destruction of nature by industrial society, as well as his religious conservatism, are illuminated through excerpts from his works and letters.

Contact